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In this post we discuss actions you can take to protect your business from cybercrime.

It’s a good idea for businesses to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital world. They can streamline their day-to-day operations and reach out to clients better when they do.

Perhaps you have launched an e-shop. Or maybe you host your database in a cloud environment. At any rate, if you’re smart, your company has a strong online presence.

Your Online Presence Makes You Vulnerable to Cybercrime

However, your digital presence also makes your enterprise susceptible to cyber threats. What’s more, cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new, more sophisticated ways to target businesses. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for protecting your firm against cybercrime.

Hackers
and Ransomware Target Businesses

Cybercrime is hardly a new challenge. However, for most individuals and companies it made the list of top priorities only when WannaCry made the news. WannaCry’s invasion served as a milestone for raising awareness when it comes to hacker attacks.

WannaCry was a ransomware worm. Hackers developed it to exploit a vulnerability in the Windows operating system, specifically on the Server Message Block protocol. Interestingly enough, the US National Security Agency (NSA) had already discovered this flaw. However, instead of disclosing it, they chose to develop code, dubbed EternalBlue, in order to manipulate it.

Hackers eventually stole the NSA’a code, though, and they used it to infect a large number of computers and networks in May 2017. After it was deployed, the ransomware took over the targeted device and encrypted the files it found on the hard drive. It then demanded the user to pay ransom in Bitcoin in order to allow the owner access to the files again.

Cybercrime Strikes Organizations Large and Small

Roughly 7.7% of all users targeted by ransomware encountered WannaCry. This made it the top encryption ransomware in 2017, ahead of Locky at 6.7% and Cerber at almost 5.9%.

Big organizations like FedEx, the British National Health System, the Spanish telecom giant Telefonica, and Germany’s railway services provider Deutsche Bahn all took a hit in this high-profile cybercrime case.

Cybercrime Is Costly

According to research published on TechRepublic.com on March 28, 2018, the average cost for a business that has fallen victim to ransomware is roughly $900,000. As the same source reveals, 45% of American businesses paid the ransom requested by cybercriminals. However, only 26% of them saw their files eventually decrypted.

US enterprises paid an average of $57,088 in ransom, a bit higher than the global average of $49,060. Even more troubling is the fact that 73% of companies that paid the ransom were later attacked again.

Protect Your
Business Against Cybercrime

There is only so much you can do after you have been attacked by hackers. Therefore, a company’s best bet in the fight against cybercrime is to take a proactive approach. In other words, you must implement defensive measures to stop hackers in their tracks.

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Data is what cybercriminals are after. Therefore, techniques like data pseudonymization are essential. Pseudonymization is the process that replaces sensitive data with fictional yet realistic information. Its purpose is to confuse hackers who will not be able to tell the difference.

Pseudonymized data is not anonymous. This means it can be used to identify an individual either by using the pseudonymization key or by combining the data with other, non-pseudonymized information. The most common technique to achieve pseudonymization is data masking. However, hashing can also be used.

Another tool in your cybercrime arsenal is data encryption. This also aims at rendering the data useless to anyone not privy to the encryption key.

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Use Sophisticated Cybersecurity Tools to Protect Against Cybercrime

Besides manipulating data, there are also cybersecurity tools that can help make it harder for hackers to find a way in through your defenses. Especially in the case of companies with many employees, tools like firewalls and anti-malware software can work wonders. That’s because people will still make the occasional mistake and open a phishing email.

A firewall controls the flow of data into and out of your computer network. It will pinpoint unauthorized access requests and protect against hackers. Moreover, always combine it with a strong anti-virus program to prevent viruses from infecting your computers.

Many operating systems come with pre-installed anti-malware software and firewalls. But installing extra features to beef up a company’s security is a good strategy for protecting your company from cybercrime.

Make It Harder for Cybercriminals to Attack Your Company

Operating systems like Windows regularly release updates. Therefore, make sure your operating system is always caught up. Often, developers will identify vulnerabilities and release patches to fix them. This is precisely what Microsoft had already done in the case of WannaCry. However, most people hadn’t yet updated their operating system. This is why they were vulnerable to the ransomware.

Sometimes it is the little things that will make the difference. For instance, businesses need to make sure that every employee is adequately trained and prepared to spot hacking attempts. Setting up strict internal information security policies can sometimes be a hassle, though. So companies are better off installing software that will automatically create strong passwords for every employee log-in account—and change them often to make it that much harder for hackers.

Preparation Is Less Costly Than the Consequences of
Cybercrime

Preparing for potential hacker attacks takes time and money.
However, if disaster strikes, it will be that much harder to mitigate the
consequences. Being proactive is the smart thing to do for businesses of all
types and sizes.

Investing in foreign markets has never been
more accessible, especially for individual investors. But regardless of how highly
international investing is recommended by financial experts, many investors are
still skeptical when it comes to shipping their money overseas.

Many industry experts have come to the conclusion that the main reasons individuals fear international investment are the cultural barriers and foreign regulations. These are still issues that investors have to deal with at some point. However, holding at least a few foreign stocks helps with portfolio diversification. Moreover, it reduces volatility and raises the potential for financial growth.

Investing in foreign markets does not come free of risks. However, there are some ways it can turn into a profitable business.

What Are the Benefits of Foreign Investments?

The main rule of investing is finding the highest risk-adjusted capital return. Broadly speaking, an individual would seek to invest in a business where the profit is bigger than the overall risk taken.

This is why diversification has proven to be one of the best ways to enhance risk-adjusted returns. It is believed that a diversified portfolio should hold at least eight uncorrelated assets that are spread across multiple areas, both industry-wise and geography-wise. Uncorrelated assets are those assets that are in no way related and do not influence one another. This means that in the eventuality of one investment failing, it will not affect the entire portfolio. Investing in foreign countries adds to geographical diversification and improves stability.

Experts believe that one of the biggest mistakes investors make is to ignore the opportunities outside of their country. This includes small investors also, who don’t think they have portfolio sizable enough to include foreign investments. So index funds come to the aid of small investors by offering diversified foreign exposure.

Developing Countries Have Much to Gain

However, the advantages of foreign investment are not one-sided, as developing countries have a lot to gain from opening their gates to international investors. For example, they gain new job opportunities for locals and easier access to new technological advancements.

Consider the relationship between China and Israel, wherein Israel has become China’s third largest trading partner worldwide. Overall, both countries have had a lot to gain from this relationship.

The most important thing for a developing country is to understand the benefits a big investor such as China can bring. “Israel is far ahead of any other country … in recognizing the importance of Chinese investment and cultivating commercial ties inside China,” says Dorian Barak, private investor and CEO of Indigo Global.

Learn the Best Ways of Making International Investments

The key in foreign investments is finding the specific industries that one country is most focused on. For example, the Middle East is famous for its oil and gas industry. On the other hand, Chile is known for its rare minerals. There are multiple other industries that are constantly growing in all areas of the world. Therefore, investing in something that has a long history and growth potential in an area is more secure and lowers investment risks.

There are multiple ways of investing to diversify the financial portfolio. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are one of the most popular ways of investing in foreign markets. Along with mutual funds, ETFs add to portfolio diversity. That’s because they hold a basket of international stocks and bonds that investors can gain access to with just one transaction.

There are many different types of ETFs, depending on the area of the investments. For example, there are as international funds, regional funds, country funds, and sector funds.

International funds rely on investing broadly across multiple countries outside of the investors’ area of development. Regional funds focus on investing in specific regions, such as Asia or the Middle East. Country funds invest in specific countries, like Russia or Spain. Sector funds focus on investments in a particular sector, such as energy or gold, but spread across multiple countries that rely on that industry.

What Fund Type Is Best?

With all the available options for foreign investments, there comes the rising question of what fund type is the best. The answer depends on the objectives and risks an individual is willing to take.

Financial advisors usually recommend that younger investors choose funds that have a higher risk but offer the potential for bigger returns. Meanwhile, older investors should seek lower-risk funds that can provide them more stability. The general advice is that, no matter the choice, the funds should meet an investor’s objectives and risk appetite.

There are typically two ways investors can gain direct access to foreign stocks. One way is to open a global account with a broker in their country that provides the ability of buying foreign shares. Alternatively, they can open an account with a local broker from the targeted country that provides services for foreign investors.

The Risks of Investing in International Markets

All investments hold risks, and the foreign market is no exception. This is exactly why experts recommend creating a diversified portfolio. If, for example, the economy or currency of a country is starting to spiral downward due to poor governmental decisions, an individual’s other investments won’t be affected.

But just like domestic investments, foreign investments come with some risks. For example:

Currency Exchange Rate

Most foreign investments generate capital in their local currency. This means that investors need to convert these currencies at some point. With the exchange rate fluctuating over time, this can lead to substantial gains or losses.

Geopolitical Risks

Many developing countries face geopolitical risks, such as hostile neighbors or terrorism that can influence the country’s economy.

Economic Risks

While some countries have a stable economy, developing countries may face economic events that can seriously affect the companies that are operating within them. That’s because foreign companies often depend on their host country’s economy.

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Is Foreign Investing Worth the Risk?

With all the variables involving foreign markets, investors must ask themselves: Is international investing really worth the risk?

The answer depends on the area of interest. Some countries thrive in a particular industry and have remained global leaders throughout the years. For example, consider China in regard to technological development. China’s great strides in this area make technological investment decisions in China quite sound.

Other countries, such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, have developed more toward the financial and healthcare industries. That makes these sectors more stable and easier to approach in those countries.

No matter the niche, experts recommend having at least 20% of your portfolio allocated toward international investments. Then you can increase the percentage over time, depending on market capitalization changes.

If you have ever wanted to work from home but haven’t yet found the right opportunity, we have a suggestion for you. Selling CBD edibles and other CBD-based products could be exactly what you have been looking for. What’s more, starting your at-home business has never been easier or more lucrative.

RELATED ARTICLE: 4 WAYS TO BECOME A MORE DISCIPLINED ENTREPRENEUR

But First, What Is CBD?

You might be wondering what CBD is, exactly. CBD stands for cannabidiol. This is a compound that comes from the hemp plant. Many people think that marijuana and hemp are the same, but they’re not. As a matter of fact, they’re two separate species of the plant Cannabis sativa.

Hemp’s trendy cousin, marijuana, produces tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. This is the cannabis derivative that’s known for its psychoactive qualities. CBD and THC are only two of the more than five hundred chemical compounds contained in cannabis plants.

So, THC gets people high. Cannabidiol, or CBD, on the other hand, is better known for its medicinal qualities. It won’t get your customers high. However, users say it provides them with pain relief, calms them when they’re anxious, and helps the insomniacs among them fall asleep when they need to.

That’s why CBD products in general are selling like hotcakes, and CBD edibles are among the most popular of those quickly selling items.

Are CBD Edibles Legal?

The legality of all cannabis products in the United States, including CBD edibles, is shifting rapidly. While most cannabis products remain illegal at the federal level, voters in multiple states have voted to decriminalize them or even legalize them for either medicinal or recreational use or both.

As a matter of fact, there is already one CBD drug in the US that has been approved at the federal level by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That drug is Epidiolex, approved for the treatment of certain types of epilepsy in children and available by prescription.

Accordingly, even in locales where CBD edibles and other CBD products are not yet fully legal, the US Drug Enforcement Agency appears to have relaxed their enforcement of the restrictions against CBD that still exist.

Choose the CBD Affiliate Program That Really Works

If you’re thinking of starting a home business with CBD edibles, you need to be sure you’re working with a trusted company. You want to work with a company, in other words, that treats its sales affiliates right. That’s why you need to take a serious look at Meds Biotech.

This company offers only the highest quality CBD products, all formulated from natural ingredients by trained pharmacists. Plus, their CBD affiliate program is state of the art. You’ll get support when you need it, as well as access to your sales figures around the clock, every day of the week.

Even better, they’ll do all the marketing for you. All you need to do is sign up, get your link from the Meds Biotech website, and then share your link. In only a short time, you will be earning a 25% commission on all your sales of CBD edibles and other CBD products.

Image from Pixabay on Pexels

How to Find CBD Edibles and Other CBD Products

To find
the CBD edibles and other CBD products to offer to your customers, go to the
Meds Biotech website. There you’ll find CBD gummies in a variety of flavors and
shapes. While you’re there, also check out their selection of capsules, oils,
and CBD products for bath and body.

Deep Discount for New Affiliates

Meds Biotech offers a sales affiliate program that is second to none. And it’s ideal for anyone who wants to work from home, earn a six-figure income, and have fun doing it.

What’s more, for a limited time, new affiliates can get half off their first purchase. Just enter the code MEDSBIOTECH50 and get 50% off any CBD product in the entire store, including CBD edibles.

We all know the story about the guy who woke up one day, got a really cool idea, and started a successful online business from his basement. For example, Apple, Amazon and Google come to mind.

Live Your Dream Life with a Successful Online Business

Nowadays, in this fast-changing digital environment in which we can’t imagine a day without the Internet and social media, starting a successful online business seems more possible than ever. You don’t need advanced technology, a big team, or expensive resources to offer a service or a product that will find its way to customers all around the globe.

Moreover, as more and more people work remotely and use online services no matter where they are located, online business is something you should definitely consider as your next career stop. Plus, this kind of business will allow you to join a constantly growing community of digital nomads who live their dream lives while traveling the world.

If you believe that you need a large amount of money or a huge investment to launch a successful online business, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, a good Internet connection, a computer, and an original idea are all you need to start.

The Internet is full of free resources, platforms, and tools you can use to turn your idea into a successful business story. For example, you can start a website or a blog for free. Or, sell any kind of products via Amazon or eBay with no inventory costs. Now, let’s take a look at a few online businesses you can start with little to no investment.

Have You Considered Drop Shipping?

No matter where you live or what kind of product you want to buy, you can do it without leaving your couch. What’s more, it takes only a single click.

In the last couple of years, traditional shopping as we once knew it has been redefined. Customers now use eCommerce platforms to order products that are delivered straight to their doorstep. This change brought drop shipping to the scene.

Basically, drop shipping is a retail method where a store doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a customer orders a product, the store purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped to the customer. This means that the merchant will never see or stock the product.

How Can You Use This Mechanism for Starting Your Own Drop Shipping Business?

First, list products for sale on your website or well-known platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. Then, when one of your customers makes a purchase, you buy that product from a third-party company for a price that’s lower than your sale price. Finally, your drop shipper (a manufacturer or wholesaler) sends the product to the customer.

The great thing about this process is that it can be completely automated. Therefore, you have plenty of time to focus on other aspects of your business, such as marketing.

If you find yourself considering this business option, do your best to find a reliable drop shipper. This is how you will make sure the product is delivered on time and that it fits your customer’s expectations. As you can see, drop shipping can easily become a successful online business.

Try Your Hand at Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing can be another great opportunity to create a successful online business with zero investment.

In short, affiliate marketing is the process by which an affiliate earns a commission for marketing another person’s or company’s product. As an affiliate, you promote a product and earn a piece of the profit whenever you help make a sale.

If you find this interesting, you can start by picking a profitable niche for your online business. Then, find an affiliate partner who offers products in that niche. Each product will have a unique link that tracks back to your account with your affiliate partner.

Thereafter, it will be your job to come up with creative ways to promote those product links. When a customer clicks on a link, they’re taken directly to your partner’s shopping cart. And once the purchase is made, you receive a commission.

It Requires No Shipping or Inventory

To successfully run this type of online business all you have to do is to handle the marketing to get your prospects to buy. You can spread the word via social media, email marketing, or blogging. The best part is that you don’t have to ship products or maintain an inventory. Also, if you don’t know where to find affiliate partners, start with Clickbank.com, Amazon.com or CJ Affiliate by Conversant.

Have You Ever Thought About Blogging?

Have a passion
for writing? Want to share your knowledge while earning money? A personal
blog is a great place to start. What’s more, blogging can lead, in time, to a
successful online business with little investment.

For example, with the WordPress platform you can start up your blog for free in no time. Simply choose your domain, secure hosting, and select your niche. Then, just start writing.

Here are a few things you should keep in mind if you want to monetize your blogging.

High-quality
written content is just the beginning. Also post photos, videos, or links to
other sites. The important part is to post on a regular basis and to create the type of content that is relevant to your target audience. This is the
best way to position better on Google and drive more traffic to your
blog.

Pair Blogging with PPC Ads and Affiliate Marketing to Generate Income

One proven
method for making money with a blog is advertising.
Pay-per-click ads are great options for a reason. Every time somebody clicks on
an ad on your site, you will make a few cents or more. While that might
not seem like much, it can accumulate over time. Just
get a code from Google and place it on your website. Then ads will
automatically appear on your blog.

Affiliate marketing is also a great option for bloggers. Simply include links to products related to your niche and wait for somebody to buy them. Before you know it, your commission will be on its way to you.

One way of getting people to click on your affiliate links is by writing product reviews. Let your readers know all the benefits of a specific product and then include a link to purchase it.

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This is how many influencers earn a living: They collaborate with big brands. Doesn’t this sound like a really cool way to have a successful online business?

Creative Types Do Well with Online Videos

There’s a reason why video continues to be one of the most popular forms of content. Statistics say that 78% of people watch online videos every week. What’s more, 55% view them every day. As a matter of fact, by 2022, videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic. This all means that videos are no longer simply a nice content option; they are a necessity. So, why not use this momentum? You could earn cash by creating original video content.

Thanks to platforms like YouTube, you don’t need any major investments to get started with this type of successful online business. Just find the niche in which you can share useful tips, knowledge, or any kind of advice.

Work on your concept and get good with storytelling. Finally, start uploading videos. Once you’ve got a good channel going, you can start making money with ad revenue. Simply enable monetization in your YouTube settings to let Google include short AdSense ads with your videos. Whenever your viewers click on these ads, you will get paid.

You Could Attract Paid Sponsorships

Another way of earning money with videos is through paid sponsorships. If you have a large enough community watching your videos, there will surely be some companies ready to pay you to promote their products and services in your videos. However, before you start down the path toward YouTube stardom, here are some tips for creating professional-looking videos.

1. Always make sure the lighting is good and the camera or smartphone you use has good resolution.
2. Make sure your audio is clear. The best way of ensuring good audio quality is by using a separate microphone (not the one on your camera or smartphone).
3. Edit your videos after filming. Cut out any excess material. Also, include titles, calls to action, and so on.

Build a Successful Online Business Around Information Products

A successful online business doesn’t have to be only about selling physical products. Instead, you can focus on digital information products. For instance, could you create tutorials, courses, and the like?

While making a quality information product generally costs next to nothing, it does take time and knowledge. But if you feel like you have talents and skills worth sharing, why not give it a try? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Audio: a recorded teleconference, interview, course, or audiobook
• Video: a recorded webinar, a how-to, an interview, tutorials, presentations
• Text: an eBook, an instruction booklet of some sort, a travel guide

No matter what kind of content you want to create, keep it engaging and useful. This is how you can make sure its popularity will grow and it will find its way to new customers.

Take Advantage of Endless Opportunities to Start a Successful Online Business

There are tons of opportunities for making money on the Internet. And thanks to all the free platforms and resources available, you can launch an online business with minimal upfront investment.

While it requires lots of time and effort, becoming a successful entrepreneur is far from impossible these days. Now it’s up to you to choose the approach that best fits your skills and personality. We wish you the best of luck with creating your successful online business!

Image by Robert-Owen-Wahl from Pixabay

A critical element in successful negotiations is emotional intelligence. But what is emotional intelligence and how can we use this key skill to ensure successful negotiations?

What Is Emotional
Intelligence?

In Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book Emotional Intelligence, he describes how this skill can be divided into two parts. Further, he asserts that in order to have a successful business deal you need to have self-awareness as well as self-control with your emotions.

What Are Emotions?

An emotion is a mental reaction such as anger or happiness. When you have an emotion, you experience a feeling that is connected to a thought.

Generally speaking, our emotions are usually directed toward a specific object or person. Moreover, they are typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body.

With self-awareness we gain the ability to read our own emotions. What’s more, we begin to recognize the role that those feelings play in our decision-making. As we grow in self-awareness, we begin to gain self-control. This is the ability to manage our emotions and impulses and to adapt to changing circumstances.

Emotional Intelligence Teaches You to Manage Your Emotions

Emotions play a vital role when we’re in search of a resolution. When we have not yet learned to manage our emotions, we find it harder to come to a peaceful resolution.

A good place to start is to understand yourself, your intentions, and your behavior. Secondly, make an effort to understand others, their feelings, their intentions, and their responses.

Why Is Emotional Intelligence So Important?

Understanding emotions is critical in negotiation. That’s because you are responsible, at least in part, for the feelings of those you are negotiating with. For example, if you are doing or saying something that is irritating to the other person, cooperation will be more difficult to achieve.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO PREPARE TO RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS WHILE STILL IN SCHOOL

Are You an Introvert or
an Extrovert?

One of the basics of emotional intelligence is knowing whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert.

Extroverts tend to be more communicative. Further, they tend to be more emotionally open people. They are more inclined to voice their views as well as their likes and dislikes. However, extroverts have a bigger challenge when they’re negotiating. That’s because extroverts may lack the self-control and self-discipline negotiation requires.

On the other hand, introverts lean toward being more deliberate in their responses. In other words, they are more inclined to reflect, weigh, and consider before speaking.

What’s more, these are valuable skills in negotiations. The more prudent your communication, the less likely you are to give away your position by saying too much.

Play Your Cards Close to Your Vest in Negotiations

As a matter of fact, the last thing you want to do during a negotiation is make yourself vulnerable to the other party. This you can easily do by giving them more information that you need to, making your actions easier for them to guess.

Curb Your Competitive Nature

Regardless of your level of emotional intelligence, successful negotiations in business can be challenging. Therefore, it is important to learn to manage your need to win.

For example, when you’re engaged in a negotiation, do you feel internal pressure get a better deal than the one that was originally on the table? If so, learn not to let ego and greed get in your way.

This tendency can be particularly difficult to manage. Although business is all about winning and outperforming your competitors, many people lose out on good deals because their desire to win is so high.

This is why some businesses turn to experts for negotiation consulting. In this way, they train their staff on the best negotiation tactics.

Learn How to Deal with
Rejection

On the other hand, some inexperienced negotiators start with an offer that they know the other party can accept because they fear hearing the word “no.”

However, if you learn to open with a position that asks for what you want and yet is realistic, you will hear the word “no” a lot. It is part of the process, though, and you should expect it.

Keep the Dialogue Open

Whatever you do, learn to keep the dialogue open. When you do, the other party will be less likely to walk away. To do this, invite the other person to tell you how close they can come to your offer.

This keeps the conversation professional, rather than emotional. And it allows them to talk about your position as well as theirs.

Additionally, effective negotiation depends on recognizing and managing non-verbal cues. You’ll also need to learn how to sense personal and social biases. All of this comes with emotional intelligence.

Use these skills to develop trust, an essential element in communicating, especially with difficult people.

Emotional Intelligence Helps You to Build Trust

When it comes to emotional intelligence and influencing another person, we must understand how the other negotiator is perceiving us. We also need to understand how that perception matches with her or his wants, needs, and desires. This is essential to building trust, which is a necessary ingredient to any successful negotiation.

Emotional Intelligence
Can Help You Succeed at Life

Emotional intelligence can help you to succeed in negotiations. What’s more, it can also help you to succeed in life as well. That’s because negotiations are a fundamental aspect of learning to live with other human beings.

So cultivate your emotional intelligence, and learn to use it to your benefit. It will take you far in business—and in life.

Every business wants loyal customers. It doesn’t matter if yours is big or small, old or new, offline or online—this fact holds true. Fortunately, there are a number of low-effort methods for retaining your ecommerce customers.

Read on to find out more about turning one-time buyers into loyal customers in the ecommerce realm.

What Is
Ecommerce?

What is ecommerce? Shopify defines ecommerce as “the buying and selling of goods or services using the Internet, and the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions.”

Did you notice the part about transfer of data? in other words, ecommerce businesses can strategically use the data they collect from online shoppers to retarget and retain buyers.

How to Retain
and Retarget Your Ecommerce Customers

Therefore, without further ado, here’s how to keep ecommerce customers through retention and retargeting schemes.

Take
Advantage of Online Advertising

Targeted advertising is all the rage these days, and with good reason. Instead of merely buying ad space on a webpage or blog, which could be shown to anybody, you purchase the opportunity to remind specific users about your e-store.

For example, if a web user visits your store twice a day to view the same jean jacket, he or she will likely be shown an advertisement for that jacket on a third-party website through the use of cookies. This helps keep your ecommerce store top of mind. Moreover, it could motivate a purchase.

Harness the Power of Email Marketing

While social media is the talk of the town right now, you shouldn’t ignore the old standby—email marketing.

As a matter of fact, ecommerce email marketing has a reported ROI of $40 for every one dollar spent. Luckily, it’s easy to capture a customer’s email address. For example, just use email campaign subscription opt-ins or checkout forms.

However, don’t abuse this privilege. In other words, don’t send your ecommerce customers spam or other unwanted messages.

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If you want to harness the power of email marketing, there are a number of approaches you can take. The first is run-of-the-mill marketing announcements. These include store news, notices of upcoming sales, alerts regarding new product launches, and the like.

Get Personal
with Your Ecommerce Customers

The second type is personalized email messages. These should mention the shopper’s first name along with content specific to them. For instance, “Hey Jessica. Are you enjoying your new cookware? Find deep discounts on kitchen products in our clearance section!”

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The email starts by getting the buyer’s attention. Then it provides them recommendations based on their recent purchases. However, don’t get too specific. That’s because some of your ecommerce customers could find hyper-specific messages creepy.

Retarget Your
Ecommerce Customers

A third suggestion is to retarget shoppers who have inexplicably abandoned their carts before completing their orders. This doesn’t have to be a big to-do.

Instead, make it a gentle nudge reminding your customer about their pending order. For example: “Hi Tom. We noticed you had three items in your cart. Complete your order to avoid missing out on these exciting products. If you have any questions or need further assistance, see our contact page.”

A note like this one could make the difference between a successful sale and a missed opportunity.

Leverage Order Fulfillments for Retargeting Your Ecommerce Customers

Then again,
not every method of retargeting is digital. There are tactics to retarget
customers offline as well.

Consider your order fulfillments for a moment. A first-time buyer purchases something from your website and waits eagerly by their mailbox for its delivery. Once the package is in hand, she tears open the box and is delighted to see her merchandise.

She tosses the cardboard box into the recycling bin and forgets about your e-store. And this is despite the fact that she loves your product.

You just missed
an opportunity to retarget this customer.

How to Retarget This Customer

To retarget this customer, consider dropping limited-time coupon codes into the delivery box. For example, one could read, “30 percent off your next order. Good for 60 days.”

The idea is to offer the new buyer a personalized discount code that automatically reintroduces them into the ecommerce sales cycle within a short period of time following their first purchase. And since it’s a unique coupon code, you can track the efficacy of this program. Pretty clever, no?

Stay Front
and Center with Your Ecommerce Customers

As you can see, retargeting and retaining ecommerce customers is all about keeping your ecommerce website top of mind. This can be accomplished through digital advertising, email marketing, or even during the order fulfillment process.

Of course, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other methods out there. Therefore, feel free to experiment until you find what works best with your ecommerce customers.

Feature Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

70Trades is one of the most well-regarded trading platforms on the Internet.

You might wonder if it’s safe to trust any online trading platform. And, while it’s true that some are merely scams, 70Trades is set up to guide you safely through the intricacies of the forex market, as well as other markets.

What’s more, you can begin trading with 70Trades with only a minimal amount, and their customer service is second to none. While you’ll need to do the work of educating yourself about trading in foreign currencies or any other market, 70Trades is a platform that can help to demystify the process for you.

In this post, we focus on how 70Trades can help you learn about and navigate the various markets, including the forex market.

Start with a Demo Account

If you’ve never traded on an online market before, then 70Trades offers you the opportunity to start your trading with a demo account. This means you can begin making practice trades without putting up any money at all.

In this way, you can begin to educate yourself about the markets and start developing your own trading strategy. This will be important when you start trading for real.

In addition, 70Trades frequently offers contests for its clients as a part of the learning process. If you enter and play well, you could win. The prize is a premium that you can use when you’re ready to begin investing actual money. As a matter of fact, this premium could be your stepping stone to your first real income as a trader.

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With 70Trades You Don’t Have to Go It Alone

At 70Trades customers always have a professional on their side when they begin their trading adventures. What’s more, this state-of-the-art online trading platform gives you access to fast-paced news sources frequently updated by the world’s leading global trading agencies.

70Trades customers from all over the world, both newbies and expert traders alike, engage on a daily basis in the forex and other trading markets. That’s because once you have registered your account at 70Trades, you’ll have access not only to forex trading but also to CFD trading as well. In addition, you’ll also be able to explore the possibility of trading in futures and commodities markets, too.

Get a Free Bonus When You Register

At 70Trades, you’ll find only the latest trading platforms. Moreover, every transaction and every process is explained in easy-to-understand terms. Best of all, when you register, you’ll automatically be eligible for a free bonus that you can use in future trades.

Choose the Market You Wish to Focus On

When you register at 70Trades, you will have full freedom to choose from among various types of trading accounts. What’s more, you’ll enjoy an array of benefits at at 70Trades, including:

• Customer service 24 hours a day and 5 days a week
• User-friendly forex trading platform
• Multilingual support: English, Arabic, and Spanish
• Easy withdrawal process
• Online trading courses
• The latest news and updates about the various markets
• Professional analyses
• Training sessions for each level
• Webinars with investors from all around the world
• A reliable and secure brokerage service
• Scam-free trading services

70Trades Is Trusted by Customers All over the World

Have you been considering the possibility of jumping into trading on the forex market, the CFD market, the futures market, or the commodities market? Most likely, what has been stopping you is uncertainty about how to make your first move. If this is true for you, let 70Trades show you the way. Before long, you could be well on your way to becoming an expert trader in whatever market you choose.

Creating a balanced and fair schedule for your workforce might seem like a far-fetched dream. However, it is possible to make this a reality.

Having the perfect work schedule in place keeps you and your staff happy. Moreover, it boosts efficiency and profits at the same time. But how can you achieve such perfection? We’ve laid out the six tips you need to create employee-friendly workforce scheduling.

1. Be Accurate in Your Projections

When creating a schedule for your workforce, you need to anticipate the number of work hours your staff will need to complete the work that needs to be completed. Also, you need to take into account by when that work needs to be done.

Consider things like business growth, holiday peaks, and fluctuations in sales to adjust your staffing projections. Fine-tune the schedule as the situation changes.

2. Create Balance in Your Workforce

Make sure there is balance in the staff. For example, if you have a lot of new and inexperienced employees in your workforce, it can create stress on the staff and lead to unhappy customers. Therefore, make sure there are experienced staff on the schedule for each shift, along with supervisors, to keep the business running smoothly.

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3. Get It Done Ahead of Time

Your employees need time to review the schedule. Therefore, aim for completing each week’s schedule about two weeks in advance. This way, members of your workforce will have plenty of time to schedule their personal life around their work life.

Also, if extra hours become available, or the schedule needs to change for any reason, make sure everyone on your workforce is aware of those changes.

4. Know Who Your Employees Are

When you’re creating a schedule for your workforce, it is important to know your employees. For instance, a younger employee or college student might prefer night hours or a similar arrangement. On the other hand, parents likely appreciate nights off to be with their children. By creating a schedule that works for everyone, you will have happier employees. And that always translates to happier customers.

5. Make Shift Changes Easy for Your Workforce

Employees need an easy process for swapping shifts when they need to. Therefore, make sure you have clear procedures in place. This will help to avoid confusion. For instance, an employee handbook can help to easily outline the steps, such as clarifying who on the workforce needs to be informed about any changes. Also, it can let employees know how much time in advance they need to make their requests for changes to the schedule.

6. Use an Online Solution

To make scheduling easy, accurate, and quick to access, get the best employee scheduling app available. And that is Connecteam. With this easy-to-use app, you can create single, multiple, or team shifts. Or you can upload shifts in bulk with an Excel file.

Save time when you’re creating schedules for your workforce. Also, get more daily operations completed at the same time. How? Simply use Connecteam’s calendar view. It allows you drag-and-drop options, and you can easily copy the previous week’s shifts.

Does your team work recurring shifts? Or do you dispatch per jobs, clients, or projects? Whatever your scheduling needs are, you’re covered.

Plus, as soon as you publish a schedule, relevant employees receive a push notification that lets them know about it. Then, as a manager, you can see who viewed the schedule and who didn’t. Additionally, every time an employee clocks in or out, the software tags their GPS location. This helps to prevent buddy punching.

Connecteam is available for a fixed monthly price, with plans starting at $29 a month. If you need it, however, there’s a plan at $72 a month for up to 200 users. In other words, you don’t need to pay per user to benefit from all the features this workforce scheduling app has to offer. Start a free 21-day trial now.

Treat Your
Workforce Right with Employee-Friendly Scheduling

Create an enjoyable and friendly work environment by applying the six points we laid out above. All of this will lead to happier employees and therefore happier customers. And that is a real win-win.

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If you are self-employed, you might think you can do without health insurance, especially if you’re young and healthy and you hardly ever get sick. However, even the self-employed should invest in health insurance. You never know when you’re going to need it.

You’ll find you have plenty of options to choose from, and it could be less costly than you might think. Of course, it won’t be cheap, but paying for health insurance now could be far less expensive than medical bills would be if you were to become ill or get injured.

Below are some reasons why you should get health insurance, especially if you work for yourself.

Medical Emergencies Can Bankrupt the Self-Employed

Anyone can be faced with a medical emergency, even if they are healthy. What’s more, medical emergencies can be really costly. If you have a medical emergency and you don’t have insurance, you could end up with burdensome medical debt.

Maybe you take good care of your health. If you do, you might think that you don’t need health insurance. But consider the possibility that you might have an accident, even while you’re focusing on maintaining your good health.

For instance, you might dislocate an ankle while hiking. Or you could break an arm while playing soccer. You might even have a traffic accident on your way to the gym. In short, any accident can result in injuries that would bring about medical bills that you might be unable to pay. Emergency surgeries like appendectomies can be really expensive as well.

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What’s more, if you have had an accident or a medical emergency you might be unable to work for a time. This is especially critical if you own your own business, because you’ll lose income while you’re unable to work.

Not only will it be difficult to pay your medical expenses without health insurance, but you’ll also fall behind on your other bills. Therefore, especially if you work for yourself, you should seek out good medical insurance now, before you have an accident or a medical emergency.

Health Insurance Makes Preventive Care and Early Intervention Feasible

If you do not have health insurance, you might ignore getting treatment for minor problems. But these minor issues can become bigger issues over time, sometimes quickly. Preventive medicine and quick treatment are good ways to avoid costly hospital stays.

Self-employed people who have health insurance do not need to stress about these situations. On the other hand, if you avoid going to get treated and end up having a serious medical condition, it could be difficult to find health insurance after your diagnosis.

Find a Health Insurance Plan for the Self-Employed

Health insurance is not a luxury for the self-employed. On the contrary, it is a necessity. However, you need to have a policy that is crafted especially for the self-employed. This is what will work best for you.

To begin your search for the right health insurance policy for you, first consider the current state of your health. Also, think about how often you tend to visit the doctor.

In short, decide what your coverage requirements are and consider your priorities. Then review the various plans that are available for the self-employed and select the one that will suit you best.

Conclusion

Being your own boss has its benefits. However, it also has its challenges. One of those challenges is finding the right health insurance. However, you can get help from carefulcents. This company is committed to helping the self-employed in multiple areas of life, including safeguarding their health with health insurance.

Featured Image from Pixabay on Pexels

Who hasn’t been stung by a surprise overdraft charge? Judging by the sums banks are collecting in overdraft charges, it’s clearly a big problem, both for individuals and for small businesses. As a matter of fact, in 2017 Americans paid a total of $34 billion in overdraft charges. And that’s a lot of money.

There are two reasons for this large amount. First, millions of people pay overdraft charges for a range of avoidable reasons. Next, these charges have been increasing over the years. At the turn of the millennium, for example, they hovered around $20. But today, they’re commonly about $35.

Overdraft Charges Can Be Extremely Painful

An overdraft charge of $35 might seem harmless enough, but it really isn’t. The problem lies in the fact that the effective interest rate of a $35 overdraft fee is extremely high. Just spent $10 at the supermarket? The implied APR of a $35 charge is huge.

Where matters get far worse is when a checking account suffers from multiple overdraft charges. Let’s say you spent the day making several small payments with your debit card. Each payment can trigger a further overdraft fee, and you could end up with more than $100 dollars in overdraft charges just by making a couple of small payments.

Don’t Be a Victim

Consumers who get stung by high overdraft charges don’t necessarily find themselves in that position because they have no other choice. Instead, high overdraft charges are often the result of a degree of negligence from the side of the checking account holder.

Banks offer services such as “overdraft protection” because they know that their clients will fall into the trap of paying overdraft fees. However, as much as overdraft protection sounds like a way to save your finances, it is more likely to cost you significantly in the long run. But how can you avoid being a victim of high overdraft charges?

Act Quickly

We mentioned how repeated overdraft charges can quickly add up. The best way to ward off the worst effects of these fees is to make sure you correct a negative balance as quickly as possible.

First, ensure you get a warning: Enable any low balance alerts, and enable an overdraft alert if you have the option to do so. Alternatively, make sure you check your account balance regularly so that you spot when you have overdrawn your account, or if you are in danger of overdrawing it.

Next, react quickly when you overdraw your account so that you can prevent further overdraft charges. Transfer spare cash if you have cash available or consider borrowing to top up your checking account.

Plenty of overdraft apps can give you a small loan at low or even no cost. The Overdraft Apps site reviews all the popular overdraft apps. There’s a good chance one of these can help you out at a far lower cost than the cost of an actual overdraft.

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Plan Ahead

As we mentioned earlier in this article, banks know that checking account customers are lackadaisical about their financial management habits. And banks cash in on the resulting overdraft fees. However, it’s easy to steer clear of these fees.

Simply get better at financial planning. The key to preventing overdrafts lies in ensuring that you don’t spend more than your income. In fact, you should attempt to spend a bit less so that you can build a buffer of savings.

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

A Final Word About Overdraft Charges

However, it’s not just cash flow planning that can save you from overdrafts. Consider opting out of your bank’s overdraft protection service. Sure, you could end up getting some transactions declined, but that’s not the end of the world.

If you really struggle with overdraft fees you could also choose to make use of a prepaid debit card instead of paying with your checking account debit card. With a prepaid card, you’ll simply get a transaction declined if you’re out of funds, instead of having an expensive overdraft charge.